That I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead

That I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead

Php 3:7-14  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  (8)  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,  (9)  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:  (10)  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;  (11)  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.  (12)  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  (13)  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  (14)  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

What does Paul mean when he says, “attaining unto the resurrection of the dead”? What is the resurrection of the dead? Well, it might not be what you think! Paul is not talking about being raised from the dead at the rapture. No! The rapture is not the context of this passage, neither does it even fit into the truths that he is teaching the Philippians. So, let’s do some bible study to see exactly what Paul is talking about.

Attaining to the resurrection of the dead is actually a foundational principle in Paul’s doctrine. Romans is the foundational book in Paul’s curriculum of 9-church epistles. Since Paul introduces the concept in Romans, it may be surprising to note that it is basic doctrine. Let’s see what Romans says 

Rom 6:2-4  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  (3)  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  (4)  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans chapters 1 to 4 deal with our positional justification. This is why Paul writes the following in Rom.5:1,

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

From Romans chapter 5 onwards, we are justified and positionally secure in God and in salvation. Romans 6 is the next step in our Christian walk, which is to learn some new truths concerning our sanctification, our walk here on earth, our union to Christ’s death and resurrection, what this knowledge is to impart into us, and how we are to be renewed and influenced by it. Paul begins to tutor us, explaining to us that the old man (the flesh) has been crucified with Christ and the inner ‘spiritual’ man has been regenerated within us, resurrected by the same power that brought Christ up from the dead, and is now ready to start to walk in newness of life. This is the life and context which Paul is referring to in our key passage above in Philippians. Let’s continue reading about this foundational concept,

Rom 6:11-14  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (12)  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  (13)  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.  (14)  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Did you see how Paul tells us to ‘reckon’ ourselves as dead to sin: to know that the law of sin in our body has no more power over us. Having died with Christ we are to know that sin shall not have dominion over us. Now, note that this is a spiritual reality. This is why we can have peace knowing that we are justified before God. But this truth does not change our flesh or the fact that sin still dwells in it. This spiritual reality can only influence our physical reality when we start to reckon it as true, when we start to fill our minds with this knowledge and start to believe it. In John 6:63 Jesus said, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” It is the power in these living words that can renew our mind and strengthen our inner man. It is giving ourselves over to obedience to the living word working within us that brings us into increasing victory over the nature of sin and its lusts within us. So, again, it is this very concept that Paul is speaking to the Philippians about. It is a mark, a prize, to attain to, or to make a reality of this resurrection of the inner man . If this is not a mark or prize to attain to, one is simply a dead man unto God, functionally useless, callous to spiritual truth and without profit to God.

Paul continues to provide more detail to this spiritual truth. Read the following passage in light of what I have discussed above, and you will find a deeper understanding to this concept and truth,

Rom 6:16-22  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  (17)  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  (18)  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.  (19)  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.  (20)  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  (21)  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  (22)  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Two things to note in the above verses. 

First, notice how Paul does not say “righteousness unto life” but rather he says, “obedience unto righteousness”. If the former were true, all you’d be doing is placing yourself under the law to try to be righteous. This is death! The letter kills, but the spirit gives life, 2Cor.3:6. Obedience unto righteousness is submitting to the working of the Word within you, allowing it to renew your mind and influence your thoughts, behaviours, actions and speech; producing righteousness not by one’s own works and power, but by the spirit, producing fruit unto righteousness in one’s life.

Second, notice how Paul says, “ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” Paul has just given you the answer to walking after the spirit and how to reckon oneself dead to sin. Our victory over sin and our power to walk in newness of life is by submitting and being influenced by that form of sound doctrine. The only way we are going to take this spiritual reality and make it applicable in our sinful flesh is to study the doctrine, learn it and have it renew our minds, and then become influenced by submitting to its workings within us. It is the power of God’s living words within us, producing the life of Christ out of us. If we do not take in steady servings of God’s word, we will by nature become servants of sin. But by keeping the truth in us, studying the scripture and growing in knowledge of it, we will become servants of righteousness by the spirit of God within us.

In Philippians chapter 3, Paul is not talking about positional doctrine. He’s talking about those who have developed a certain mindset, through that form of doctrine, being his epistles, and who walk a certain way in order that they might attain and apprehend some things: that they may win Christ. They’ve suffered the loss of things, they’re pressing onward, by any means, attaining unto the resurrection of the dead, following after, reaching forth, pressing toward. This is the prize that we as believers should be attaining to. It’s a mindset that is fashioned by the knowledge and understanding of truths that have settled and matured within us according to our doctrine.

So, lets summarize:

Paul is talking to the Philippians about coming to the knowledge of Christ, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and being made conformable unto His death. Then he says, “If by any means, I might attain, (meaning: to fully come) to the resurrection of the dead”. As we can see, attaining to this resurrection is not speaking of the rapture. There is no attaining needed to be caught up in the rapture. To participate in this event, one simply needs to believe in the grace gospel. So, the attaining in this passage is to have the doctrine formed within you, to become transformed by it and to grow steadily and consistently in conformation to it. As one does this, as the inner man becomes alive and mature in the spiritual truth, one will no longer be dead unto God, but through the fullness of Christ in you, you are now alive unto God and attaining unto that resurrection. This is the prize worth attaining to. If one does not set one’s heart upon this mark, like so many people in this life, one will remain a babe in Christ, submitting in varying degrees to the nature of sin and the lusts within the flesh, going about in life like dead men, until the Lord comes and catches them up to heaven.

Let Paul inspire us once more with these words,

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.